1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus having a head/ink tank separable/detachable type ink-jet cartridge in which a detachable ink-jet recording head and a detachable ink tank for reserving ink to be supplied to the ink-jet recording head are united, and to a method of recovering the ink-jet recording apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional ink-jet recording apparatus usually comprises a semi-permanently usable head (hereafter, permanent head), and a detachable ink cartridge for supplying Ink to the permanent head via an ink supply means such as a tube. However, when a permanent head is employed, it is hard to eliminate an accidental failure caused by nozzles clogged with dust or a time-sequential failure caused by a deteriorated jet element. To solve this problem of poor reliability the recording apparatus itself possesses, a special maintenance service system must have been organized to keep offering optimal recording performance. From the viewpoint of improved system reliability, the recording head, which is liable to failures, must be able to be replaced periodically at given intervals. From the viewpoint of easy replacement, the recording head must be able to be replaced reliably in units of a given amount of ink. In an effort to meet these requirements, an ink-jet recording apparatus using a detachable head cartridge (hereafter, detachable head) in which an ink tank and an ink head are united has been put to practical use.
However, when a detachable head is employed, a usable amount of ink cannot be set to be large. This is intended to ensure reliability and is attributable to the size and weight of the detachable head itself. As a result, the operating cost becomes higher than that when a permanent head is employed. When the ink is used up, even if a head drive function works satisfactorily, the head must be discarded. This may evoke a latent problem of environmental contamination which is a worldwide concern these days. To cope with this problem, an ink-jet recording apparatus in which a head and an ink tank are replaceable independently of each other has been proposed. This ink-jet recording apparatus offers excellent reliability by exploiting the feature of a detachable head, hardly increases the operating, and assists in conserving global environments.
Typically, in a conventional transferred information processing method, generally programs for transmitting commands from a host to a printer are written so that the commands will be sent according to the command control system of the printer, and the commands are transferred sequentially via a printer driver.
In a recording apparatus using an ink tank/head detachable type ink-jet recording head which is constructed as described above, a large number of parts are required to indicate numerous items that must be indicated appropriately, such as ink tank replacement time and a head replacement time, and items for selecting an optimal suction recovery sequence depending on whether the ink tank alone or the head alone is replaced. This is not cost-efficient at all. Moreover, since numerous items are padded to a narrow display area, each item becomes indiscernible.
On the other hand, in information processing, given commands for a printer are entered using dedicated keys on the printer. A command cannot be transferred as an interrupt to the printer using a keyboard of a host. When this kind of system is used, a large number of dedicated keys must be formed on a printer to implement diverse printing control functions or printing modes. This cannot help but increase the size of a printer that is supposed to be compact. Such an increase in size not preferred.
Furthermore, a command or mode that must be executed or activated at once cannot be specified as an interrupt due to greatly diversified modes. Thus, the operability is unsatisfactory.
One of problems of the ink-jet recording apparatus having the aforesaid construction, as pointed out by the present inventor, is that a recovery procedure different from a normal head recovery procedure must be executed when a recording head or an ink tank is replaced. For example, when an ink tank is replaced, bubbles may enter an ink supply path located between the ink tank and a recording head. The bubbles must be removed prior to recording. Furthermore, recording characteristics specified in the process of manufacturing a recording head may deteriorate as time passes. Therefore, when a recording head is replaced, special preliminary jet or other run-in (aging) must be carried out to recover the recording characteristics, or thickened ink that has stuck to jet nozzles during physical distribution must be removed. A different recovery procedure may be required depending on a state that a recording head is mounted on and secured to a carriage which scans together with the recording head, or on a state that a recording head and an ink tank are joined with an ink supply path.
On the other hand, a recording head must be controlled electrically. Therefore, when the recording head is mounted and secured, how the recording head is electrically coupled with a carriage becomes significant. Furthermore, how an ink supply path is connected is critical even when solid ink is employed. When liquid ink is employed, in particular, measures must be taken to prevent leakage of ink from the location at which the ink supply path is connected. This is because leaked ink messes up the interior of a system, spoils recording paper, or stains hands. When it comes to the connection of the ink supply path, in particular, it is very hard in practice to materialize a simple construction that satisfies the demands for reliable connection and which is reliable enough to prevent ink leakage and which provides for separation which is easy enough to allow effortless replacement of an ink tank.
The present invention attempts to solve the aforesaid problems. An object of the invention is to provide an ink-jet recording apparatus in which a display means and a keyboard in a host are fully utilized so that not only data but also commands can be transferred between the host and a printer over common signal lines, and improved operability is offered.
The present invention attempts to achieve the foregoing object, and provides an ink tank/head separable/detachable type ink-jet recording apparatus that adopts a method in which data and commands are transferred between a host and a printer over common signal lines, and that includes an information transfer means based on the method for transferring Information of the printer to the host, and a transferred information processing means that handles the transferred information using the facilities of the host (for example, CRT and a buzzer).
The present invention provides an ink tank/head separable/detachable type ink-jet recording apparatus including a storage element capable of being referenced commonly by the control units of a host and a printer, and an information processing means that operates according to information existent in the storage element in the host.
In the foregoing construction, a means that, if necessary, transfers items required for clarifying the state of a head to a host over an interface cable, and informs a user of the items using a control unit and a display (CRT) in a main body is incorporated. The incorporation of the means solves problems relevant to display of items.
Furthermore, common signal lines are used to transfer data or commands between a host to a printer. Therefore, various printer control functions including functions for selecting a printing control function and printing mode using a keyboard on the host are set in the keys of the keyboard. When a key is pressed, a command allocated to the key is transferred as an interrupt, then executed promptly.
As for an invention regarding a procedure of recovering an ink-jet recording apparatus, an ink-jet recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a head/ink tank separable/detachable type ink-jet cartridge in which a detachable ink-jet recording head and a detachable ink tank for reserving ink to be supplied to the ink-jet recording head are united, and a control means that varies a recovery sequence involving ink jets to be shot from the ink-jet cartridge depending on whether or not the ink-jet recording head has been replaced.
In a method of recovering an ink-jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, a recovery sequence involving ink jets to be shot from a head/ink tank separable/detachable type ink-jet cartridge, in which a detachable ink-jet recording head and a detachable ink tank for reserving ink to be supplied to the ink-jet recording head are united, is varied depending on whether or not the ink-jet recording head has been replaced.
The present invention is most advantageous when implemented, especially, in an ink tank/head separable/detachable type ink-jet recording apparatus in which an ink tank is pressed to attach and fix the ink tank and head to a carriage. In this ink-jet recording apparatus, the direction of pressing the ink tank, the direction of connecting the ink tank with the head, and the direction of connecting the head with the carriage are substantially the same. This construction permits reliable connections, and offers improved operability in replacing an ink tank or head.
In addition, when the direction of connecting the head and carriage with an electrical coupling means is substantially identical to that of pressing the ink tank, electrical coupling can be accomplished reliably with a simple construction.
Furthermore, when a connecting means is attached to each of the ink tank and head so that the ink tank and head can be connected with or separated from each other outside the carriage, improved operability can be provided.
In the present invention, a recovery sequence involving ink jets from a head/ink tank separable/detachable type ink-jet cartridge in which a detachable ink-jet recording head and a detachable ink tank for reserving ink to be supplied to the ink-jet recording head are united is varied depending on whether or not the ink-jet recording head has been replaced. Consequently, an optimal recovery sequence can be executed without regard to of whether or not the ink-jet recording head has been replaced.